Seventh Wave

System 7

September 24, 2001

Electronic / Ambient / Techno / Trance

Seventh Wave was the first full System 7 album produced on our own label A-Wave Records, released in September 2001. Seventh Wave represents a crystalisation of the unique System 7 sonic cocktail of progressive house, ambient, techno and trance. 'Manik Shamanik' (a collaboration with French DJ Bruno Catala of French space disco crew Rinocerose) gets the party started, a slowly building track that eventually morphs impressively into a spacious and slightly dubbed out cut, all pounding beats and building trance riff finish. In many ways the second track 'High Plains Drifter' is the main dance-floor statement on the album, again using some of System 7’s trademark sounds in a driving and exciting way. This track was also released as a club single with the iconic Voyager remix that still features in System 7’s live set. It’s followed by '7 O’Clock' which has a more trancey feel, with the later track 'Varkala' in full psy-trance mode. On a more chilled note is the collaboration with the Orb’s Alex Paterson 'Soft Rain' plus 'The Abyss' and the two more balearic ambient house tracks “Sal Del Mar” and 'Chiringuito'. On this digital release tracks 9 and 10 are 2 bonus tracks not on the original CD. As planetgong.co.uk puts it:- Seventh Wave is a driving, focused laser beam of beats heading straight out there that eventually mellows onto a plateau of atmospheric tranquility and invention resting a-top a bed of gentle, cushioning rhythms. Oh yeah and there are great guitar fragments, lines and grooves all over the place. The optimistic force of Manik Shamanik carries all before it and evoked smiles of pleasure as the urge to 'shake that thang' could not be resisted - parts reminded me of 'The Blue Room', the Orb/System 7 collaboration of a few years ago. 'High Plains Drifter' is a wonderful relentless track, and long time listeners may recognize the 'Fish Rising' sample which sets the tone and pluse of '7 O' Clock'. In fact the first three tracks will get you there all by themselves, but there's more. 'Soft Rain' is the track with the strongest gliss feel on the album mixed in with funkier rhythms and tracks 5, 7 and 8 are much more mellow than the irresistible beats of the earlier tracks - breathing space or perhaps the whole point of the trip? Who knows, who cares, it all sounds good to me - a hugely enjoyable journey.